Dartmouth fraternity pleads guilty, fined for alcohol violations

HAVERHILL — A Dartmouth College fraternity has completed an agreement before a Grafton County Superior Court judge that includes its guilty plea to serving alcohol to an underage person last year and a $15,000 fine with portions suspended.

A county grand jury last December indicted the Brotherhood of Alpha Delta Fraternity on two counts of prohibited sales in October 2012 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a male and female who were both under the legal New Hampshire drinking age of 21 at the time, according to the indictments.

The case file shows that the terms of the agreement were prepared over several weeks earlier this year and signed last month by Judge Timothy J. Vaughan.

Vaughan required the members to complete 300 hours of community service by Feb. 27, 2014, and laid out a number of conditions the fraternity must comply with moving forward.

Those conditions include preparing a management plan for the fraternity at 9 East Wheelock Street in Hanover that includes proper oversight of social gatherings.

The members must also accept education from counseling professionals on such matters as recognizing “the signs of intoxication,” according to the agreement.

Whenever more than 10 non-members are present with access to alcohol, the gathering must be a registered event, rather than an informal get-together.

The fraternity must identify a host from its midst who will be responsible for alcohol distribution at the gathering, and who will also “assess risk” during the event and summon help when needed.

“This individual cannot consume alcohol while serving as host,” according to the agreement.

The fraternity must also establish the position of “risk manager” for the house.

The agreement was signed by four Alpha Delta officers, including fraternity president Siegfried von Bonin and vice presidents Nate Davis and Ross Collins, according to records on file at the court, which show that the judge in separate actions suspended amounts of $7,500 and $1,800 for 18 months from the $15,000 fine. The college also paid a $3,600 penalty assessment. The file shows a receipt to the fraternity for paying a total of $9,300.

Grafton County Attorney Lara Saffo represented the state in the matter. The fraternity was represented by Lebanon attorney John Hughes III. Prohibited sales is a Class B felony.